My Favorite Bird Photos

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Monthly Archives: October 2013

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Early morning rain was discouraging, but I had an appointment anyway. I was pleasantly surprised to see bright sunshine when I got home, so I headed to Quiet Waters to take a quick look. There were plenty of birds, and a few bugs as well.

The soft song of the Bluebird can be heard many places in the park.

White Throated Sparrows were foraging in small flocks.

This Tufted Titmouse was feeding in the trees and on the ground.

Ruby Crowned Kinglets were very active.

My sister will be glad to see these Dark Eyed Juncos.

This Double Crested Cormorant took off as soon as I spotted him.

I was surprised at the complacency of this deer.

Today’s Bugs.

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Yet another fine Fall day, even if it does make you wonder if it’s a bit too warm for this time of year. Quiet Waters is closed on Tuesdays, but gas is still expensive, so I went to Greenbury Point, which is only a few miles.
I found a nice variety of birds, and noticed that the Navy has done some extensive land clearing in order to remove some invasive plant species. They destroyed a lot of good habitat, but it may be good in the long run.

White Throated Sparrows will be with us until Spring.

I often see Red Bellied Woodpeckers in this large tree near the Nature Center.

Field Sparrows lost a lot of habitat in the clearing process.

This Eastern Phoebe has found a nice meal.

There were several Cowbirds soaking up the rays in a large tree.

I saw several Cooper’s Hawks and a Bald Eagle when I first arrived.

This Carolina Wren was singing loudly.

The Navy has put a lot of effort into promoting the Bluebird population.

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Another perfect Fall day. It was about 45 degrees when I left the house around 7:30, and steadily warmed to the high 50s. I didn’t have much luck early, but the area around Holly Pavillion was quite active. The Vireo was an unexpected find, and a few other birds posed nicely.
A quick search turned up no bugs at all.

This Blue Jay seemed curious about what I was doing.

Yellow Rumped Warblers are so common at the moment that I’m only looking at the ones who are close.

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Blackie, our adopted stray cat, awoke me at 4:00 this morning, so I had to kill 3.5 hours until sunrise. Pigged out on online pool.
I went back to Quiet Waters to save some gas money and see if it was as good as yesterday. It was. Lots of birds were feeding where the sun first hit the treetops, and Holly Pavillion was as active as yesterday.
Bug hunting was near fruitless.

Yellow Rumped Warblers ignore the photographer when they’re feeding.

A small pool of water attracted White Throated Sparrows as well as many other birds.

This Red Bellied Woodpecker landed in a bush quite close to me.

I believe this is the first Palm Warbler I’ve seen at Quiet Waters.

Eastern Phoebes are abundant at the moment.

Downy Woodpeckers are found everywhere in the park.

The Chipping Sparrow might be best described as “Handsome.”

Field Sparrows are less numerous than other sparrows.

This Blue Headed Vireo is a late migrant.

Today’s Bug.

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I awoke to the promised rain this morning, and glumly faced the chores that I’ve been avoiding. After a few cups of coffee, and a bout of online pool, however, the Sun popped out. I quickly gathered my gear and headed for Quiet Waters Park, which is quite close to home.
I was really looking for early ducks when I noticed a lot of small birds near one of the pavilions, and settled in to watch. There was more variety than I expected, including the above warbler and the year’s first Dark Eyed Junco.
I stopped at a promising patch of weeds on the way out and found a few bugs, also.

This pair of Eastern Towhees will be heading South soon.

This Eastern Phoebe will also be leaving soon.

This pair of Cardinals will be with us all year.

I don’t often get such good looks at a Blue Jay.

The Black Throated Blue Warbler is one of my favorites, and I was afraid I’d go all Fall without seeing one.

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It was the coolest morning of the Fall thus far, and sunshine was promised, so I flipped a coin and went back to Wooton. I walked the entire upper trail without seeing much, but did better when I reached the ponds. I spent quite a bit of time trying to get a Kinglet hovering as he gleaned from the bottoms of the leaves, and found plenty more Yellow Rumps ( known as “Butter Butts” to the insider).

Palm Warblers are quite beautiful.

White Throated Sparrows will be with us ’til Spring.

Northern Flickers are travelling in small flocks now.

Chickadees are a treat to watch.

Ruby Crowned Kinglets often hover under a leaf as they search for bugs.

Yellow Rumped Warblers are very active when feeding.

This Flycatcher is probably an Eastern Phoebe.

This Viceroy butterfly is staying a bit late.

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The weatherman got it right-clear skies and sunny, with a slight breeze. I had decided to go investigate some good birds reported at Kinder, and I got there around 7:00 AM.
I didn’t find anything exciting, but I found some sparrows I hadn’t seen in a while, and a couple of other birds.